UN’s High Commissioner of the refugee committee Filippo Grandi, advises the U.S. to lift the title 42 health related restrictions due to inconsistency with international norms. Due to the horrific conditions happening at the Del Rio, Texas camp where 14,000 Haitian refugees have been gathered to seek asylum. Many have insisted that President Joe Biden halts the displacement of refugees to Haiti from the camp. This insistence comes from pictures that have surfaced that show officials riding horses, using their reigns as whips. The title 42 was created in March 2020 to limit the spread of coronavirus, but is discriminatory and abusive. Some immigrants have already been sent back to Haiti and more have been sent to detention centers in the U.S.
By reading the article and looking at the issues, I am prone to agree with Grandi. The way the U.S. has handled this has not been lawful. The haitians should be able to have at least a hearing rather than just being turned away. Or to have their case looked over by more than one person. This article has substantial importance in the region due to the fact that there are many camps across the border. If this behavior of officials continues then it will cause more of an uproar across the country and the international community. If Title 42 was really about public health concerns then there would be no need for the treatment of immigrants that is happening right now. With the movements that have been happening in the past year, how are federal agents using such force against innocent people?
If the UN is interested in this case then it shows how important this issue is. The UN is the largest IGO in the world, and it is in some shape or form connected to almost all international relations. If the top official of a UN committee thinks something is working against international law. He might have a good opinion on the matter. Many officials have said that the actions that are happening in the camp are “deplorable”. And I have to agree, after seeing the pictures it is just inhumane. These actions go against human rights and international law.